Words Crush Wednesday – Homeric Version

I wasn’t originally planning to do the “blogging events” assignment for Blogging101, but I couldn’t think of anything to write today, so I decided I’d do the “Words Crush Wednesday” thing. (Whether I keep at it will probably depend on if I have anything I actually want to say on future Wednesdays…)

For the moment, I’m going to focus on some of my favorite passages from the Iliad. Because that’s how I roll. This is from the end of Book 3, Robert Fagles translation; Helen speaking to Aphrodite, following the duel between Menelaos and Alexander. (I’m sticking with Fagles’ name transliterations for the quote, naturally.)

“Menelaus has beaten your handsome Paris
and hateful as I am, he longs to take me home[.]
Is that why you beckon here beside me now
with all the immortal cunning in your heart?
Well, go to him yourself–you hover beside him!
Abandon the gods’ high road and be a mortal!
Never set foot again on Mt. Olympus, never!–
suffer for Paris, protect Paris, for eternity…
until he makes you his wedded wife–that or his slave.
Not I, I’ll never go back again. It would be wrong,
disgraceful to share that coward’s bed once more.”

Unfortunately, then Aphrodite put a scare into her, and she went back anyway…